The DC2-generation Honda Integra Type R is regarded as one of the finest front-wheel drive performance cars ever built but just what makes it so special? In this video, Zack Klapman from The Smoking Tire tells us.
If you know anything about the Integra Type R, you’ll know that it was the fastest and most focused variant of the Integra sold to the public. What you may not know, however, is the fact that Honda built the Integra Type R so it could meet homologation requirements to go Group N racing.
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Powering the Integra Type R is a 1.8-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine known as the B18C. Honda outfitted this engine with higher compression pistons, lighter valves, a lighter rotating assembly, a new intake, and a much larger exhaust that increased flow by 30 per cent over a standard GSR. What’s more, each and every head was hand ported and polished. The result is an engine that produces as much as 195 hp, making this the most powerful horsepower-per-liter engine that was around at the time.
Then there’s the chassis. Much like the all-new Porsche 911 GT3, the Integra Type R has double-wishbone suspension that allows the tires to stay flat on the pavement through turns, improving grip and handling. Klapman goes as far as to suggest that the Integra Type R could very well be the best-handling front-wheel drive car ever made.
The Integra Type R featured in this video is particularly special as it is owned by Honda in the U.S. and has just 5,400 miles (8,690 km) on the clock.